1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of audio-visual systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for selectively viewing and interacting with programs and services from a number of program/service sources, a control device for controlling the system, and the methods and apparatus incorporated in the system for managing selection, viewing, and interacting with the program/service offerings.
2. Art Background:
Over the past 40 years, television and motion pictures have become an important aspect of everyday life for people in the industrialized world. The development of advanced technology in the areas of digital and high definition television (HDTV), video recording systems, laser disks and compact disc (CD) entertainment systems, coupled with satellite, cable television and telephone services, have provided opportunities for viewers to store, retrieve and selectively display a variety of television and audio-visual or interactive programming on home entertainment systems. Over the past decade, improvements in personal computing systems have provided a variety of powerful miniaturized personal computers which permit the storage of data and control of home appliances, such as entertainment systems, through the use of microprocessors. Additionally, a variety of graphic user interfaces have been developed to ease human interaction with these new personal computer systems.
The combination of computer technology with television (TV) and audio-visual (A/V) systems, has fostered the development of multi-media interactive entertainment systems. The combination of computer hardware and software with audio-visual systems has brought new forms of art and entertainment into being. CD read only memory (ROM) systems coupled to personal computers permit interactive video computer simulations, unique self-paced learning environments and interactive "movies", not possible in earlier television systems (See, "The Revolution Starts Here", Newsweek, page 42 (Jan. 18, 1993)). It is known that consumers desire interactive television and multi-media applications for home use. One of the biggest challenges for an interactive television service is the design of an interface that is easy and fun to use by average consumers.
In the computer industry, a variety of graphic user interfaces have been developed to facilitate human interaction with computer systems. Many display systems utilize metaphors in the design of the interface as a way of maximizing human familiarity, and conveying information between the user and the computer. It is well known that designing around a familiar metaphor helps reduce human learning time (See for example, Patrick Chan, "Learning Considerations In User Interface Design: The Room Model", Report CS-84-16, University of Waterloo Computer Science Department, Ontario, Canada, July, 1984, and the references cited therein). Research in interface design using metaphors in man-machine interfaces may be applied to multi-media systems, and in particular, to interactive television systems.
The marriage of video and television technology with computer interface technology provides consumers with maximum flexibility in storing, retrieving and viewing television and other audio-visual programming. As will be described, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for presenting an improved audio-visual user interface, which includes various user-selectable features for viewing and controlling a television, video tape recorder (VCR) and other audio-visual devices. As will be disclosed, the present invention's user interface provides a user-friendly mechanism for consumers to view, record, and play back TV and A/V programs, as well as control other A/V home entertainment devices using a remote control device. Furthermore, information such as TV program listings and additional information related to programs as well as selecting and controlling categories of interactive programs and services may be provided through the user interface of the present invention.